New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-08-21
FOR AMATEURS ONLY.
,ettv Mrs. bearing was dull.

servants TO look after, enough pocket-moncy To
buy everything suitable for the wife OF bankers
clerk, beautiful face, TO which the brown halr,
brushed straight from the brows, gave q look of
intelligence and purity, commonplace husband
absent all day, idle hands, and a restless mind
Just the state of things perceiving which inc
father of political addresses and society gossip
hmps In and suggests employment
Daughter OF a poor curate, who when she was
seventeen, joyfully married her, almost wlthouo
consulting her, to young man WIN cApecca.
tons" Marion bearing had spent five years or
her life wi thout any society but that OF some
what unattractive husband, who, having sown
what wi Ia oats he could afford between the ages
of eighteen and six-and-twcnty, settled down TO
matrmony at thirty without a notion that INC
beautiful child he married would ever require
INV excitement but that OF ordering MS ulhherS,
mending his clothes, and listening TO his sage
aiscourse when he returned from the city in the
evening.
Women are so different from men, OF course,
and household duties must necessarily be more
attractive TO them than any other sort OF occu-
patton Tom bearings mother and sisters ana
ounts at least, had always been perfectly SAILS
fled with the charms of the domestic circle, and
he himself at and-thirty asked nothing better
than to doze and prose by the fire at night TO a
beautiful bored woman of two-and-twenty
But now, to his surprise and veNaton, his VIE
had grown dull and discontinued, had leit OH
talking, even left of listening, and at last one
memorable night had electrified him by bursting
into a passionate entrcaty 10 be allowed to go
the stage"
Tom bearing was naturally extremely shocked
at such a request. His notions of actresses were
formed from a casual acquaintance with chorus
girl in a comic opera company whom he had met
in the country, and had taken to supper; from
anecdotes concerning the eccentrcitics OF hlstor-
zeal tragediennes; and from accounts In the
papers headed An Actress in Trouble" detail
ing how ladies with many aliases were taken up
by the police for driving hanson cabs without
license, and other cratic proceedings
Eut her husbands righteous indignation had
little effect on Marion bearing; she pincd lot eX-
element, for employment, and thought In hcr
innocence it the reprcssed aspirations oil an ar
list nature that stirred her soul She was sure she
could act extremely well if she tried, and this
belief was due TO no particular concclt, being
shared by humanity at large.
She took TO moping and grew limp and listess;
worse she left off laughing at her husband S
ponderous tests, and even forgot what vegetables
he preferred for his dinner.
Then across the darkened domestic horizon
shone a ray of light in the suggestion OF city
friend of Bearings, man highly thought OF by
the latter from the reputation he had OF gong
into really good society"
"Wife dull and stage-struck, and you natur-
ally object TO her becoming an actress" SAID tins
worthy 'why not let her play with amateurs?"
To the question, WAS 1T respectable?" Mr..
Carewc drew himself up.
His own sister, Mrs. Darlington, wife of the we'll
known &C, spent all her leisure in playing for
charities, and the set she moved in was most
exclusive.
I'm my club, the Macrcadys, we are in want
of ladies'" Mr.. Carewe continued. We don't
care TO engage professional actresses you see-its
expensive and also our lady amateurs
who kindly play for us don't always
care about meeting them. Some awiu'ly
nice girls play for us and of course their mothers
lana hnt,f Tho
they meet. The Honorable Mrs Mordaunt plays
a good deal with us, and Lady Burnsde-very
nice women; an sure Mrs. Bearing would like
them In mensely."
Under Mrs. Carington's indulgent wing, there
FORE prettey Mrs. bearing first introduced
TO the members Of the Macready Club and the
amateur ladies kindly assisting them. :.
I'VE are so glad to have you," said the Honor
able Mrs. Mordaunt magnificent looking
creature, with husband apparently wandering
Jew by proft sion, from the distant ana varied
points OF the compass at which he WIS perlodl-
cally sighted "the lady who was gong to play
your part has to go to bali that night, and
20 couldn't think OF any one TO take her place"
"SOme of the gentlemen wanted 10 engage
professional actress" said Mrs. Darlington. But
I'm very glad they have not, as think It's much
better to keep out the professional element Miss
BrOwnjOhn's mother, for instance, would never
allow her daughter TO play except with amateurs
she is so particular. Let me introduce you To
Captain Vernon, Mrs. bearing"
The ast-named gentleman q fne-lool1ing
man, no longer in his first youth.
Hearing his name he turned TO bestow "A long
stare of insolent appreciation at the beautiful
newcomer he the ady-lSiller par excellence
of the amateur world, and very highly esteemed
among the middle-cass hours who shone therein
account Of the high connections of which he
sometimes vaguely boasted, well by reason
of the low morality, concerning which he was
more explicit.
He was rich and playing at acting aired his
vanity, and gave him plentiful opportunities for
more less risky frtatons with more less
rapid damselS and matrons. lie much preferred
those performances in which professional actresses
were not engaged. These last were so business
like, SO natter-of-fact; they had none Of the Hat
terIng soli-cOnScOus shynesS OF an amateur en-
gagged in lovc-scenc with Captain Vernon. Be-
sides half the fun of the thing lay in meeting
your stage inamorata afterward at the houses OF
friends in the Park, or at the theatres, where,
when a piece they know is performed, amateurs
are wont to congregate TO deplore the traces of
insufficient rehearsal, the staginess, or the Vul-
gaIity OF professional performers,
Into this society pretty Mrs. Dearing was
now plunged. At first she threw herself heartily
into her parts, being filed with vague dreams
of future fame and fortune for herself and Tom
when, her genius conquering all prejudice, she
should be snapped up" by London manager,
rs, according TO amateur tradition, frequently
happened TO their most promising members.
The amateurs, men and women, took TO Mrs.
Dearing. The women petted and patronized her,
and the men would have gladly paid her con-
siderable attention had not Captain Vernon mo-
nopolized her entirely from the first moment OF
his introduction TO her. He had constant oppor-
tunities Of meeting her; for the amateur
season on, and the members of three or four
other clubs were glad to avail themselves of Mrs
bearings services ON Captain Ycrnons introdnc-
ton. The married women assisting" them
finding that the best bait by which to lure the
handsome and MISUNDERSTANDING Captain YER
non TO their lat homes" was the presence Of